Evotec to collaborate with Ology Bioservices on antibodies against Coronavirus

Antibodies were generated from convalescing COVID-19 patients

04-May-2020 - USA

Evotec SE announced that its Seattle-based subsidiary Just – Evotec Biologics, Inc. has entered into a partnership with Ology Bioservices, Inc. (Ology Bio) for the evaluation and analytical characterisation of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. This work falls under a contract awarded to Ology Bio by the Department of Defense Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Enabling Biotechnologies (JPEO-CBRND-EB) to develop, and manufacture monoclonal antibodies for treatment and prevention of infections with SARS-CoV-2.

geralt, pixabay.com, CC0

This work is supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs with funding from the Defense Health Agency.

Under the terms of the agreement, Just – Evotec Biologics will act as a subcontractor to Ology Bio and utilise its in silico toolset to screen a panel of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies provided by Ology Bio that were generated from convalescing COVID-19 patients. Just – Evotec Biologics’ Abacus™ and analytical toolsets will help to filter these antibodies into a smaller set with predicted desirable characteristics for manufacturing and long term storage. Once the final antibody panel has been selected and produced at a small scale by Ology Bio, material will be sent to Just – Evotec Biologics for evaluation of biophysical properties and potential post-translational modifications.

Rapid evaluation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody candidates will improve the quality of antibody therapeutics selected through this contract and provide confidence to proceed with large-scale manufacturing. 

Dr Craig Johnstone, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, comments: “Antibodies generated from convalescing patients do not necessarily translate into stable, manufacturable biotherapeutics. Applying our in silico approach Abacus™ to narrow down a large set of antibodies to the few candidates with the most preferable development characteristics significantly improves the likelihood of rapidly manufacturing high-quality biotherapeutics.”

“We are pleased to work with the highly innovative and professional scientific staff at Just – Evotec Biologics in our efforts to rapidly produce anti-COVID-19 antibody therapeutics,” says Ron Cobb, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Ology Bio.

No financial details of the agreement were disclosed.

Other news from the department business & finance

Most read news

More news from our other portals

Fighting cancer: latest developments and advances

See the theme worlds for related content

Topic world Antibodies

Antibodies are specialized molecules of our immune system that can specifically recognize and neutralize pathogens or foreign substances. Antibody research in biotech and pharma has recognized this natural defense potential and is working intensively to make it therapeutically useful. From monoclonal antibodies used against cancer or autoimmune diseases to antibody-drug conjugates that specifically transport drugs to disease cells - the possibilities are enormous

View topic world

Topic world Antibodies

Antibodies are specialized molecules of our immune system that can specifically recognize and neutralize pathogens or foreign substances. Antibody research in biotech and pharma has recognized this natural defense potential and is working intensively to make it therapeutically useful. From monoclonal antibodies used against cancer or autoimmune diseases to antibody-drug conjugates that specifically transport drugs to disease cells - the possibilities are enormous